The evil story of Maduro in Venezuela is a sad one, it is the story of socialism in all its drab and dreary manchine-likedestruction of individual thought, creativity, and ambition. It is the story of socialism in all its violence, bloodshed, and tyranny. It is a cautionary tale of how America has so far eluded the siren call of something for nothing, an equality determined and enforced by the government — but also a warning to those in NYC who seem enchanted by Mamdani’s socialist cant.

As the euphoria over Maduro’s fall fades, let’s hope that Venezuela will choose a different path, realizing that it was not just Maduro who pitched socialism but a cast of socialist leaders tracing back to the 1970’s. While celebrating the demise of Maduro, the fact that his toppling came by executive order and not by Congressional declaration is not an insignificant point. In this case, a leader who monopolized central power is removed in an action that monopolizes central power. Defenders of limitless Presidential powers call this “the Unitary President.”
Easy enough to argue such policy when the action is short, swift and effective but glaringly less so when that unitary power drains of us trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, such as occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.

Time will tell if regime change in Venezuela is successful without significant monetary or human cost. Best though, not to forget, that our founders limited the executive's power to go to war without Congressional authorization for a reason—to limit the horror of war and limit war to acts of defense. Let’s hope those precepts of peace are not forgotten in our justified relief that Maduro is gone and the Venezuelan people will have a second chance.